Israeli Police prevent Cardinal Pizzaballa from entering Holy Sepulchre

[aussie_aussie_oi_oi]

This morning, the Israeli Police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Head of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, together with the Custos of the Holy Land, the Most Reverend Fr. Francesco Ielpo, OFM, the official Guardian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, as they made their way to celebrate the Palm Sunday Mass.

The two were stopped en route, while proceeding privately and without any characteristics of a procession or ceremonial act, and were compelled to turn back. As a result, and for the first time in centuries, the Heads of the Church were prevented from celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This incident is a grave precedent,and disregard the sensibilities of billions of people around the world who, during this week, look to Jerusalem.

The Heads of the Churches have acted with full responsibility and, since the outset of the war, have complied with all imposed restrictions: public gatherings were cancelled, attendance was prohibited, and arrangements were made to broadcast the celebrations to hundreds of millions of faithful worldwide, who, during these days of Easter, turn their eyes to Jerusalem and to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Preventing the entry of the Cardinal and the Custos, who bear the highest ecclesiastical responsibility for the Catholic Church and the Holy Places, constitutes a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure.
This hasty and fundamentally flawed decision, tainted by improper considerations, represents an extreme departure from basic principles of reasonableness, freedom of worship, and respect for the Status Quo.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land express their profound sorrow to the Christian faithful in the Holy Land and throughout the world that prayer on one of the most sacred days of the Christian calendar has thus been prevented.

[Doom]

This is a case of "damned if they do and damned if they don't", with Iran launching drones and missiles at Israel, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is directly across from the Temple Mount, where the Dome of the Rock, one of the largest mosques in the world, is located.

Muslims have always regarded the Church of the Sepulcher as a provocation and desecration of their alleged Holy Site, which is why, when Muslims ruled Jerusalem just before the First Crusade, they destroyed it, requiring it to be rebuilt by the Crusader Kingdom after they retook the Holy Land.

In this case, Israel either shuts it down to prevent loss of life in case Iran does attack it and gets accused of anti-Christian sentiment, or they leave it open, and it gets blown up by Iran during Holy Week with people inside, and Israel gets blamed for not closing it, allegedly desiriing the death of Christians.

[Highlander]

+1.

I understand that all clergy were banned.

[aussie_aussie_oi_oi]

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that he has instructed authorities to give Cardinal Pizzaballa 'full and immediate access' to the Holy Sepulchre for Holy Week
Netanyahu wrote on social media:
'I have instructed the relevant authorities that Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch, be granted full and immediate access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_ ... s-to-come/

[Obi-Wan Kenobi]

Good.

[peregrinator]

I understand that all clergy were banned.

That turns out not to be the case.

[peregrinator]

In this case, Israel either shuts it down to prevent loss of life in case Iran does attack it and gets accused of anti-Christian sentiment, or they leave it open, and it gets blown up by Iran during Holy Week with people inside, and Israel gets blamed for not closing it, allegedly desiriing the death of Christians.

No one would blame Israel for not closing the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to clergy, which they have no authority to do in any case. There is a small community of Ethiopian Orthodox monks who actually live within the complex

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deir_es-Sultan

[Highlander]

In this case, Israel either shuts it down to prevent loss of life in case Iran does attack it and gets accused of anti-Christian sentiment, or they leave it open, and it gets blown up by Iran during Holy Week with people inside, and Israel gets blamed for not closing it, allegedly desiriing the death of Christians.

No one would blame Israel for not closing the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to clergy, which they have no authority to do in any case. There is a small community of Ethiopian Orthodox monks who actually live within the complex

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deir_es-Sultan

I differ. I hold that lots of people with lots of interests would blame Israel for keeping the CHS open to clergy ... if anything happened.

I find myself in accord with Doom a lot more recently. Perhaps his arguments are becoming more suasive. A worrying trend?

[Obi-Wan Kenobi]

It's not too late to seek professional help.